Ole Miss pitcher Owen Kelly
Ole Miss pitcher Owen Kelly throws a pitch in a midweek win against Alcorn State at Swayze Field in Oxford. | Dylan Cohron

How to Watch Murray State at No. 17 Ole Miss: Time, TV, Pitching Matchup

BY Taylor Hodges

Midweek games don’t usually have storylines as fun as this one.

One of the best things to watch last season was Murray State’s miraculous run to the College World Series. Or at least it was fun for everyone except Ole Miss and its fans.

The Racers’ run that Cinderella herself couldn’t match began at Swayze Field in Oxford. They beat the hosting Rebels twice to advance to the NCAA Super Regional while Ole Miss cleaned out its locker room.

Now, Murray State is returning to the scene of its crime and plenty of Rebels from last year’s team will be sitting in the dugout they watched the Racers celebrate a massive upset a year ago.

Here’s everything to know about Tuesday’s game.

The Opponent: Murray State

Murray State made its inaugural appearance in Omaha last season, capturing its first Missouri Valley Conference championship in the process. The Racers are once again one of the top teams in the MVC, holding the highest win-to-loss percent entering this week at 24-16. Murray State also has one of the most potent offenses in the MVC, scoring 7.0 runs per game.

The main catalyst for Murray State’s offensive output is senior infielder Luke Mistone, who paces the Racers in batting average (.357) and RBI (38). He had a five-hit game for Murray State in March against Kentucky State, plating nine runs for his efforts. Behind Mistone is Colby Ott and Kainen Jorge, the latter of which leads the team in home runs with eight.

On the mound, the Racers have forced three shutouts, which leads the MVC. However, none of their shutouts have come in midweek competitions this season.

Starting Pitchers

RHP Owen Kelly vs. RHP Preston Chaudoin (0-0, 3.60 ERA)

  • Kelly: 1-1, 3.66 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 19.2 IP, 23 H, 13 R, 8 ER, 8 BB, 18 SO, .295 Opp. BA
  • Chaudoin: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 10 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 10 SO, .222 Opp. BA

Weather Forecast

Swayze Field won’t have to worry about any inclement weather for Tuesday’s game. The National Weather Service forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 80 degrees during the day. At night, it’ll get as low as 56 degrees. The wind should be blowing in a beneficial way. The south, southwest winds are expected to be 5-10 mph.

How to Watch: Murray State at No. 17 Ole Miss

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